A Man Seated at a Desk probably dates from between 1854 and 1856.

A Man Seated at a Desk, Colby College Museum of Art

A Man in a hat, Library of Congress

The technique is similar to that seen in a few early drawings, such as A Man in a hat [M.0178], which is dated 1854.

However, it is hard to date from technique alone, and it could date from later. A label on the verso suggests a date of about 1860.